Avery unemployment rate remains among lowest in WNC - reflector.com

RALEIGH — Avery County continued to post one of the lower unemployment rates in Western North Carolina in July, according to preliminary figures released by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Avery County's seasonally adjusted employment rate was 3.2 percent in July 2026, an increase from the 3.0 percent reported for June. Despite the month-to-month increase, Avery's rate was down 0.7 percentage points from its level of 3.9 percent in July 2025. The July rate also kept Avery among the counties with the lowest unemployment rates in Western North Carolina. Among the region's counties, Swain County had the lowest rate at 2.8 percent, followed by Avery and Ashe counties, both at 3.2 percent. Henderson County was also at 3.